Automatic ride control for motor driven vehicles



T. GIBBONS VApril 9, 1935'.

AUTOMATIC RIDE CONTROL FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES original Filedoct. :s1

was

Patented Apr. 9,A 1935 (UNI-ragni `Moron t DnrvEN VEHICLES c Thomas Gibbmis';` .yvaligeviue, ontario, canada Application october. 31, isaaserial No. 640,494 n Renewed October 1, 19.34 i ioclaims. `(ci. 18s- 87) The objects of the'invention are to insure'easyl i riding 'ina motorcar or other vehicle .over rough or comparatively uneven roads orpavementsand i to do this vWithout affecting ,tov any material extent theecomfor'table resiliency ofthe springs under. smooth i, road, conditions, which is 1 perhaps the most vitalpoint in the support of car bodies, for-the very good reason that a manual adjustmentgof `the customary-shock absorber"V does not Vcorrect Athe resilientsupports, .forthefdiffering conditions rapidly fol1oWing,one another, as for example,` the apertures in-l the absorbers-may tbe 1, narrowedso greatly as Ato leave at places a; comparatively rigid, support `when a yieldingfsupport is suitable', vand similarly areadily yielding support may-follow the adjustment, and Vbe `in evidence on reaching a very considerable bump, consequentlynothing will eliminate thebouncing effects lof Vthe joltsA unlessthe"shock-absorbers are adjusted `at .each change in speed in a selective shaft or in twoselective shafts as the case may be; toiproduceeconomically agdevice thatwill takey care of all shockabsorberswthinireach `of electrical Wiring connections and particularly `to facilitatethev negotiation of aroughroad at low speed and yet govern the supporting properties ofthe shock absorbers,notwithstanding the slow `pace".of thecar; and generally to provide Without` any'material draft on the -power re-V sources of thevehicle, `an efficient and serviceable means for automaticallyladjusting theshockabserbers.A l," [Figure l Lis a ,plantview ofthe chassisvof the motor'carV showing diagrammatically the Vshock absorbers, the generatorsand the electrical connections. l' d Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the Wiring plan from the generatorV driven by the drive shaft, j

Figure 3 isa similar-Wiring diagramshovving thew'iring planfr-om the generator driven by theengine shaft. Y y i 1" Figure `4vis a diagrammatic -view showing `an `enlarged detail of a conventional valve with double solenoids appliedthereto for automatic spring pressure adjusting. g i

Figure 5V is a detail of a `conventional valve showing a single solenoid as the spring pressure adjustment.` y U i "Like numerals of reference indicate correspondingpartsin the various figures.` i

Referring tothe drawing, the numeral I5indi- ES PATENT 0F`F1CE".-

Caies-tne driven or dr'iveishait, as it is usually 10 called, Whichfis partof the connection'from Vthe crown gear and pinion" |6to the prime mover l'l,` i these connections including the usual gearset I8 or other transmission members.

" VThe electric generator I9 isoperated from the drive shaft l5 vby the gear mechanism 2D; and isI always coincident with the rotationof` the shaft following `the variations of speed precisely.

" Another generator 2| is connected by a gear mechanism 22to the prime mover shaft 23 and the operation of this .generator is precisely. the

same ingrelation to its shaft'as the generator `I9 in relation to its-shaft, both shaft and armature operatingv together in each instance; though it may occur in some constructions l,that the, armatures will operateat a different R. P. M. than their respective shafts,v but they Will still agree 'positively with the variations `ofi speed, therefore the. elec.- tric current delivered will vary `accordinglyas the speeds ofthe shafts vary and this constitutes` the principleiof operation in this invention.

The solenoids 244 and 25 with the `common core 2liV `engage lthe spring 21 encircling the-pin-28 from said core and this `spring engages the adjusting memberY 29 of the shock absorbers-30, these*l shock absorbers are distributed throughout `thefvehicle Wherever they are wanted forcush-r ioning purposes and in Figure 1 of the drawing four 4are shown, which is `the customary number in the usual `passenger motor` car. i A Each of the shock absorbers are ,shown 3as grounded at`3l to the motor car frame, while the grounding of the Vgenerators is indicated at 32and33. j l 1 v,The transmission Wire 35"from the generator I9 `extends to a connectionS'l, and this connection extends to awire 38 on the one side and"39 on the other side, these wires38 and 39* forming the passage for the electric currenttowthe severalshock absorbers and more particularly to thesolenoids 25'of each shock absorber.

`The generator 2| is similarly connectedto the the connection Wire40` and side wiresfllr and542 ,solenoids 24 through the transmissionwire 36,

and this completes the'transmission lof Athe current incidental to the several solenoids..

. InV Figure 2 a rheostat or variable resistance Vand similarly trucks and delivery wagons show an increase in the weight of the goods, conse-Y Vquently the stiiness of the shock absorbers mustV be increased proportionately with ythe extra weight. Therefore the minimum power must be increased and in some cases eventually reach 'the maximum thereby making fit' possible to operate. theV adjusting devices under all conditions.`

Briefly the operation of the invention is as fo1lows:- vWhile the car is running in high gear, the running shaft I5 to all Aintents andpurposes extends `through to the crown gear and pinion, therefore the engine shaft and the drive shaft operate at the Vsame Speed.V Y Y Under these circumstances, the resistance to Vpressure onthe seats of the motor carmust be at the maximum when theV normal high speed has been reached, and under such conditions, the generator I9 and the generator 2l are both delivering current to the solenoids with the result that the core is drawn in the direction of the adjusting device, which as has been mentioned may be of any typeaccording to the shockabj sorber used, it is merely a matter of making the operative connections as to what mechanical movements will take place on drawing the core frorn'the coilsv of thesolenoids. This core beingv common to Vtwo solenoids, the spring is pressed Y inwardly or drawn outwardly vaccording to the construction of Ythe shock absorber, .but in the illustration, the core is 'shown as drawn in the direction of a conventional valve, so that the spring exerts continuously greater pressure on the valve'which increases the resistance to ,weighty pressure on the seatsof the valves. Y

Now, inthe natural order Vof thingathere will Vbe considerable variations lof speed in the shafts extending through the vehicle and formingrthe single shaft operation throughout the vehicle, and these variations of Vspeed will naturally be the same in so far asrthe engine shaft .and drive shaft are' concerned, therefore there vwill just simply be a diminution of current supplied to the solenids as the quantity delivered will naturally drop withY the slowing up of the armature shafts, but when the load is increased land the speed of the car materially reduced, then it is desirable to keep up a good resistance to weight pressure 0n the seats, because the increase of load means that the car is travelling over a comparatively rough road, such asia detour which frequently occurs in motoring. v i

'I'he engine shaft will now be` travelling ata considerable speed andthe power transmitted through the changev gear mechanism, therefore the drive shaft may revolve quite slowly in comparison to the engine shaft, but the engine shaft willV maintain through its speed', a good'and regular delivery of electric current from the generator 2| to the several solenoids and this willcombat the additional weight onk the seats .due to bumps in travelling slowly overa rough Vroad and thereby maintain the efliciency of the cushioning effect of the shock` absorbers.'

It is obvious that either one or other of the generators may be used, though for a complete equipment, it is much better to use both,v` but the car will operate in so far as its shock abesorbers are concerned very well with simply the drive shaft generator or with simply the engine shaft generator, though where one only is used, the drive shaft will most likely be the one selected.

The flexible nature of this equipment is what must be emphasized in so far as the invention is concerned, because the actual cost of the generators amounts to very little, and their connectionto the shafts is an every day affair, while the wiring plan and the solenoid operations are so Well known in electrical practice as to need no comment.

V In Figure gavsingle solenoid is lused at each shock absorber and this is indicated by the numeral 43, otherwise the construction and parts are'just the same as vwith the addition of the second solenoid, and havethe same indicating numerals. K z

1. VIn an automatic..ride control for motor driven vehicles, an adjusting mechanismfor vehicle shock absorbers, a rotating member and electrical meansoperating said adjustable mechanism, and synchronizing in its operations with Y the variations in speed of said rotatingA member. 2. In an automatic ride. control for motor driven vehicles, a plurality of` shock absorbers having adjusting devices, for regulating their re-` 1 sisting properties, electrical meansfor operating said adjusting devices, Vashaft periodically rotating. at different speeds and suitably driven,

an electrical machine operatively connected to said shaft `and transmission lines delivering.

power from said machine to said electricalmeans in quantities varying .correspondingly with the changing speed of the shaft.

3. Inanautomatic ride control .fonmotor driven an electrical machine operatively con-` nected to said shaft and transmissionlines, de-

livering power from said machine to said electrical means in quantities jvarying correspondingly With the changing speed of the shaft.

5. In an automatic ride control for motor driven vehicles, a plurality of shock absorbers having adjusting devices, a motor shaft and a drive shaft periodically rotating ,at d iiferent speeds, electrical machines operatively'connect-j edat said shafts and transmission lines deli-ver-` ing power fromfsaid machines to. saidelectrical meansYA in quantities varying correspondingly *n with the changing speed of the shafts. n

.16. In an automatic ride `control for motor driven vehicles, a plurality of shockabsorbers having adjusting devices for regulating vtheir resisting properties, electrical means for operating said adjusting devices, .a shaft periodically` rotating at different speeds and suitably driven,

an electric generator operatively conl'iected to y j 1,997,414 said shaft and transmission lines delivering power from said generator to said electrical means in quantities varying correspondingly `with the changing speed ofthe shaft.

7. In an automatic ride control for motor having adjusting devices for regulatingtheir resisting properties, solenoids for' operating said4 adjusting devices, a shaft periodically rotating at diiferent speeds and suitably driven, an e1ec.

driven Vehicles, a plurality of shock absorbersv having adjusting Valves for regulating their resisting properties, electrical means for operating said adjusting valves, a shaftA periodically rotating at different speeds and suitably driven, `an

electrical machine operatively connected to said shaft and transmission lines delivering power from said machine to said electrical means in quantities varying correspondingly with ythe changing speed of the shaft.

n for operating said adjusting devices, a shaft pedriven vehicles, a plurality of shock absorbers.

speed of `the shafts.

9; In an automatic ride control `for motorV driven vehicles, av plurality of shock absorbers having adjusting devices for regulating their resisting properties, `front and rear electrical means riodically rotating at different speeds andsuitably driven, an electrical machineoperativelyy connected to saidshaft, transmission'lines delivering power from said machine tosaid electrical means inY quantities varying correspond- 10 ingly with the ehangingspeed of the shaft and a variable resistance suitably operated and adapted to control the power` to the rear electrical means, l

" 10. In anw automatic; ride control for motor 15 driven vehicles, a plurality of shock absorbers havingadjusting devices for regulating their re-` sisting properties, solenoids for operating said adjusting devices, a motor shaft and la drive shaft periodically rotating at different speeds, 20

electric generators operatively connected to said Ashafts and transmission lines delivering power from said generators to said solenoids in quanti` Y ties varying `correspondingly with the changing vrIHoMAs `GnaBoNs. 

